After two and a half years of development, the Digital Public Library of America finally flipped the switch on and opened its website at DP.LA. Collecting items from institutions cross the country, the library has already collected more than two million items in its searchable database. And that's just the beginning.

In addition to regular searches of the kinds you're probably used to, you can view DPLA results as a timeline or a map. The DPLA also has an API so developers can dbuild their own tools for browsing the huge collection.

The DPLA is still very much a beta, and as it adds more partner institutions and builds out its technology the potential for the utopian project is huge. But beyond the impressive use of technology, we should note that this work is important. Information portals like the DP.LA will be an essential public service as people increasingly consume images and text digitally and online. Godspeed. [DP.LA via PetaPixel]